Readers Comments and Queries


I hope you have found this ramble through Chisholm history informative and interesting and would invite any comments or queries you may have.

Please email me if you have your own Chisholm family history to relate, if you have genealogical inquiries that can be pursued here, or if there are any particular Chisholm stories that you would like to pass on. We will post them all here.

Colin Shelley

nottshell@btinternet.com


Comments and Queries


11 January, 2010.  The Lament for William Chisholm 

I have just found your website while researching the lament for William Chisholm. 

My great great great grandmother was a Hannah Chisholm.  Her sister Isabella Chisholm was an informant to Alexander Carmichael.  Some of her contributions are recorded in his work, others are in the school of Scottish studies, but not in print. 

Hannah suffered as a widow, her husband was transported when her family were very young.  The sentiments of the two widows appeal to me, one who was probably fairly well off before Culloden, the other the wife of a poor traveller.  The story about the old Chisholm lady who was dragged out and burnt was often related in our family;  Sellar was but a word likened to a curse. 

Have you any more info on the widow of William Chisholm, what happened to her, was there any family? 

Regards, 
Catherine Laing (armlaing@hebrides.net)                



7 December, 2009.  John "Buff" Martin Chisolm from Virginia 

John "Buff" Martin Chisolm (possibly Chisholm) was born 1837 in Virginia and died in Yazoo county, Missouri in 1892.  He buried two wives, sisters Mary and Carrie Carradine, and was buried by a third, Mary Sconyers. He had at least nine children (with spouse names where known):
- Georgia, Sam Duggan
- Alice, Chris Everett
- John, Ella Marks
- Ralph and Henry, who both died young
- Bessie, S. Griffin
- Jeff Davis, Lizzie Ingram
- and Buff, Edward Kressenberg

Thank you very muc,
Linda Babcock (L.Badcock@surewest.net)


5 December, 2009.   Chism/Chisholm in New Brunswick 

Looking for any info on Isabel Chism/Chisholm, her parents, etc.   She married Capt. Joseph Cudworth Jr. in Rockland, Maine and was born in New Brunswick.  

Thanks,
Gordon  (GordonLaGrange@aol.com)


4 September, 2009.   Chisholms in Canada 

My dad's name is Gerald Chisholm Arnold.  My grandmother was a Chisholm born in Saskatchewan in 1899 to Eva Chisholm and Robert Ferguson Chisholm.  Robert was the first mayor of North Battleford when it was incorporated as a town.  He died young on a train that got caught in the snow.  My grandmother and her mother, brother and sister moved to Ontario shortly thereafter.  Robert was born in Bruce, Ontario in 1870. 

I was wanting to know if you have information about about Robert's parents and where they came from.  There isn't much information online. 

Thanks 
Nancy Gazzola (


11 June, 2009.  Chisholms in Oregon 

Do you have any information on Dr. William Payne Chisholm, who served in the U.S. Navy as a surgeon during WW2 and had a medical practice in Lakeview, Oregon for many years?  He also may have served in WW1.   He died in 1958 in Ashland, Oregon (he was my grandfather on my father's side.).  He was married to Myra A. Chisholm who died in 1959.  Anything would help. 

Thank you very much.
sincerely, Kevin D. Chisholm (kbchisholm@yahoo.com)

8 May, 2009.  Ned Chisholm 

My name is Gabriella Chisholm and I am from Pennsylvania.  I believe that I am a descendant of Ned Chisholm, the African-American from South Carolina.   I would like anyone else who believes the same to reach out to me because, after all, we could be family.  My paternal grandmother is a Chisholm hailing straight from South Carolina. 

Thank you,  
Gabriella Chisholm (


12 April, 2009.  Emily Chisholm in Alabama.  

I am looking for any information available for my gg-grandmother, Emily (Emely) L Chisholm.  She married William B Pillow on Christmas day 1822 in Lauderdale Alabama and was buried in Maury Co. Tennessee in 1835. 

Thank you, Mike Pillow (


8 March, 2009.  William Chisholm, Merchant in Glasgow 

Trying to find more info on William Chisholm, born in South Leith in 1763 and married to Anne Tough in Edinburgh in 1803.  He was a merchant in Glasgow.  Are there are mercantile records for this period in Scotland? 

Eddie Evitt (eddie@eevitt.freeserve.co.uk)


20 February, 2009.  Mairi Chisholm 

We would like to get in touch with the next of kin of Mairi Chilsholm (1896-1981), a very brave nurse during the First World War in Pervyze - Belgium.  Do you have information on her relatives? 

Warm regards, 
Martin Dewitte, producer (living.stone@telenet.be)


19 February, 2009.  Chisms from Alabama 

It was very interesting to read about the name Chisholm.  Unfortunately, my dad and I are the only two that have adopted the name Chism, a derivative of Chisholm.  When he was drafted into the Air Force his name was shortened. 

My father’s name is B. C. Chism.  He resides in Tuskegee, Alabama and was a proud member of the Tuskegee Airman.  My name is Alvita Chism and I reside in Indianapolis.   I don’t know where we fit in but I would like to know if we are a part of this lineage.

Alvita

19 January, 2009.  Chisholms in Vancouver 

I stumbled across your page and noticed there is no mention of the family migrating to Vancouver.  All my family is in Vancouver, BC and it's quite extensive.  I've been doing my families genealogy for 17yrs now and it's been a struggle to say the least. 

I have two uncles who share the name of a Robert Edward Chisholm and I'm thinking this might be the link to my father’s grandfather (my great-grandfather died before my father was born).  My father is the oldest of nine children.  His father didn't speak of his dad (great grand) at all, so no one knows anything. 

Any info you have on the migration to Vancouver, BC and pertaining to the name enclosed would be greatly appreciated! 

Thank you 
Natalie Chisholm, Calgary  (


26 October, 2008.  Chisholms in Jamaica?  

I am Walter Chisholm and wish to know about the Chisholms that went to Jamaica.  As the only Mexican Chisholm there is, I have special interest in knowing where and from whom my ancestors got the name Chisholm.  

Many thanks  
Walter Chisholm (


22 October, 2008.  A Chsholm Mississippi Riverboat Captain

I am searching for information on a Mississippi riverboat captain named Chisholm who was prolific during the Victorian era c.1890 in Louisiana. Any info on this Chisholm would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely
Connie McNutt, St. Louis, MO


3 July, 2008.  John Chisholm Towner in Eastbourne  

I have just found your website. I was looking for information on Alderman John Chisholm Towner who lived in Eastbourne, Sussex and bequeathed a building as a gallery, along with some art work, to the town in 1920.  This would seem to tie up with the date of his death you have on your website - is this the same man and, if so, do you have any more information you could send me?  For background, you may like to know I am writing an article on the Towner gallery in Eastbourne.

Kind Regards,
Claire (clairewatson@prgltd.co.uk)


4 June 2008.  John Chisholm from Saskatchewan 

I am trying to trace my mother’s father, John E. Chisholm, who was a barrister in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan around the first or second decade of the 20th century.  He married Edith Simington of Moosejaw sometime before 1917.  My mother, Lois Isabel Chisholm, was born in Moosejaw in 1917 and her sister Alice Mary Chisholm was born there in 1923.  Edith and John were divorced, though I do not know in what year.  My mother indicated that John may have moved to Nova Scotia and was still alive in 1945, the last time she had communicated with him.  If you have any information regarding my grandfather whom I never met, I would be greatly appreciative.

Sherry Miller (sherC100@netscape.com)


21 March, 2008.  Rachel Chisholm from South Carolina 

I am researching the family tree when I came upon your Chisholm website.  I am trying to find the lineage for a Rachael Chisholm.  Rachael was born around 1760 in South Carolina.  I have been told her father's name is Alexander Chisholm and her mother's first name is Christina.   From there, the information ends.  

Based on the birth date for Alexander Chisholm he could be Rachael's father.  His wife Christina could be her mother Christina, since I don't know if she had siblings, I can't tell if the boys are her brothers and if the girl is Rachael.  This girl's name listed on your website is "Ann".  Could this be an error and in fact be the Rachael for whom I am referring?  The Rachael Chisholm I am searching for married a James McMillan on October 1844 in Cumberland Co., NC.  She died on 18 Aug 1839 in Chesterfield Co. SC. 

Jean Williams (weimar3@earthlink.net)

 
10 February, 2008.  Alexander Chisholm Who Emigrated to the Carolinas 

I was most interested in reading your Chisholm website as being the Clan Chisholm genealogist I am always on the look-out for new or interesting items about Chisholms. 

As it happens there is currently an ongoing debate regarding the MacKenzie book "The History of the Chisholms" and its accuracy.  One such item revolves around a statement by MacKenzie:

"John Bàn Chisholm, tenant of a small holding at Lietry, who married Catherine, daughter of John Macrae with issue – (7) Alexander, junior of whom nothing is known." 

We then see that William Garnett Chisholm in his book "Chisholm Genealogy" on Page 24. uses MacKenzie’s Alexander to hang his whole family tree on: 

"Alexander Chishom [sic] Jr., was born Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1738-9. He is said to have been a member of the Knockfin branch of the clan, although I have no proof to offer, I am inclined to believe that he is the (7) Alexander, junior, mentioned on page 155 of MacKenzies History of the Chisholms,  Alexander emigrated to Carolina at an early age, about 1746, accompanied by his mother, and his youthful departure from Scotland may account for the fact that nothing is known of him by the Scotch genealogists." 

This I suspect is the very same Alexander that you mention on your website  

"Alexander Chisholm had emigrated as a boy with his widowed mother from Inverness to South Carolina in 1746.  According to the family account, he was the son of the Laird Collins Chisolm who had been killed at Culloden.  Alexander married Christina Chisholm (no relation) in Charleston and they had six children, five boys and one girl." 

In this particular instance we have accepted that MacKenzie is correct in saying nothing more is known and that William Garnett Chisholm was just looking for a convenient peg to hang his family on and is not correct. 

What I interested in is finding out about is who was "Laird Collins Chisolm."  I have no records of a Chisholm by that name and any information and the source of same would be gratefully received. 

Kind regards, 
Bob Chisholm, Clan Chisholm Genealogist, UK Branch (sarc@dsl.pipex.com) 


2 December 2007.  No Chisholms in South Africa?

I was disappointed to see that this site has no information on the Chisholms in South Africa.  My ancestor John Chisholm arrived in Cape Town in 1812 and was a water engineer in that city.  John is the family name (eldest son of the generation).  My mother has traced our line to this point but we cannot find who came before.

Chantal Smit (wiccanslayer@gmail.com)
Johannesburg, South Africa


26 November 2007.  Hugh Chisholm in New Brunswick  

I have traced my family tree to a Hugh Chisholm who arrived in St. Stephens, New Brunswick in Canada around 1783.  I have participated in the Chisholm DNA project and strongly suspect that Hugh arrived from Strathglass.  If you know of any way that I could attempt to verify this, it would be sincerely appreciated.

Ian Chisholm (ibc220@concast.net) 
South Burlington, Vermont


10 November, 2007.  Robert Chisholm in New Zealand

Most interested in your very readable website on the Chisholms.  As a long time Chisholm researcher -- mainly on NZ Chisholms - I wondered where you got the information on Adam Chisholm who arrived in NZ in 1841 that he was a brother of Robert who arrived in 1858.

I have long suspected this and have said this in a book I have written and articles written, but have never said it was true -- many similarities etc. and Robert did have a younger brother Adam, but I have never been able to prove it, conclusively.  Would be great if you have that information!!

Audrey Barney (dabarney@ihug.co.nz)
NZ Clan Chisholm genealogist and historian